I walked through my next two meetings like a fucking zombie. I hadn't heard anything from Ron or Sky an hour later and decided that was it. Fuck the rest of the day. Something was wrong with my woman.

"Rach. Cancel the rest of the day. I don't care what it is. I'll deal with it later this week."

"Not a problem, boss. You need me to do anything? You okay?"

"I'm good. Just some family stuff. I'll call later and check in with you. I'm headed to the house." I dropped the call, grabbed my shit and walked to the elevator. Nausea rolled through me in thick waves. I'd been in a handful of relationships over the years, and I'd always been the one to dish up the goodbye. The pathetic, "it's me, not you." My turn had obviously come around, and Sky was going to let me down hard.

"Fuck," I mumbled and rubbed my chest. My heart hurt, and I felt like I might throw up everywhere. The door opened, and I forced a stupid smile on my face, nodding and speaking to people until I was out of the building. The cold air filled my lungs and calmed me. I called Sky, but her voicemail picked up. I didn't leave a message on the first few calls.

She picked up on the third. "Hey. I'm sorry. I was having lunch with Ron."

"Skylar. What's going on?" I walked to the car and opened it, getting in and holding my breath.

"We need to talk."

It was over. The best love affair of my life and it was over. How the fuck had this happened? How had I not seen it coming? It felt so good next to her. We'd made love the night before until my thighs burned from rocking into her.

I'd missed something important. My pride kicked in, and I swallowed and nodded. Talk. Right.

"Yeah, sure. Meet me at my place."

"The office or the house?" She sounded unsure of everything, including me.

"My house. I'm going to take the rest of the afternoon off. Not feeling so well."

"What's wrong?" A softness entered her voice that shoved needles into my heart.

"Nothing. See you there shortly. Be safe." I dropped the call and sped like a bat out of hell toward the house. Lars and Ron called as I drove, but I let their messages go to voicemail. I had nothing to say to anyone until I figured out what was happening with Skylar.

Numbness settled over me, and I accepted the loss. My father died too young and left me with the heavy burden of his beautiful company, and I'd do well there. I could force myself into working fourteen-hour days and get lost in the years. Eventually, my heart would heal, and I'd find someone else.

My throat closed up at the thought, and I held back the need to cry like a baby. I hadn't shed a tear since Momma died, but I might do it now.

"Stop it. Fuck." I got out of the car at the house and walked toward the building. Unlike I'd done at the office, I ignored all of the nice gestures offered by the bellman and security guards. I didn't have to uphold pretenses at my own damn home.

After riding the elevator to the top, I walked in to find Sky there already. Her back was to me, her shoulders rolled in as she stared out the window at the city.

"Hey." I set my keys down and tried not to let her know that I was beyond terrified. I'd lost a few times in my life, but nothing felt quite as fucked up as this time.

"Kade." She turned and let out a soft sob as she crossed the room and plowed into me.

I wrapped my arms around her without hesitation. Tears blurred my vision as I breathed in the scent of her air. I didn't want to let my plea out, but it slipped out anyway.

"Don't leave me. Please." It wasn't wimpy or begging. It was the cry of an emotionally strangled man who was too far in love to let go.

"What?" She looked up, tears running down her beautiful face. "Baby. No. I'm not going anywhere."

It took a minute for her words to sink in. My heart thumped hard in my chest and time seemed to stop.

She wasn't leaving?

I pulled her close and leaned down, consuming her in a fiery kiss. I needed her to know how much I loved her. How the fuck I'd fallen in love over three months to the intensity I had, I'd never know, but I'd convinced myself that she was my soul mate. Shit, I still felt that way.

She pulled back, confusion on her face. "Why in the world would you think that I would leave you? I love you."

"I love you too." I brushed her hair back with both of my hands and kissed her a few more times in a desperate manner. "When you quit today, it felt like you were leaving me too. What the hell is going on?"

"I'm pregnant, Kade. I didn't want to put the company in jeopardy, and you giving me that raise would do just that. Where people might accept it, maybe, it would look so bad." She sniffled and pressed her chest against mine.

Her words ripped through me.

"Pregnant?" Fuck me. I was going to get emotional pneumonia.

"Yes." Her eyes lowered as if she were upset. "I'm sorry. I don't know how —"

"Baby. This is great news!" I laughed through my heavy emotion. "You're not only not leaving, but we're having a baby together?"

She glanced up giving me an odd look. "Are you okay? You are really being weird right now."

"I thought you were leaving me. I couldn't breathe or think. The minute you walked out of the office, it felt like my world was crumbling around me." I leaned forward and brushed my nose by hers. "A baby. I love it."

"You do?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

"Fuck yeah, I do. And you're taking that job, Sky. You're going to be my wife before we know it, and our kids will own this company one day. There is no one else I would accept to run this damn monster with me, but you."

"What will everyone say, Kade?" She wrapped her arms around me. The firm press of her body against mine was enough to set the world back right-side up.

"I don't give a fuck what they say, woman. This is my company, and I'll run it however the hell I please."

"Oh no. Not this guy again." She laughed and lifted up to kiss me. "We'll make it work?"

"As long as you're beside me, Sky, I'll make anything work for us, baby." I kissed her and ran my hands down her back. "I called in for the rest of the day. Will sex hurt the baby?"

She laughed. "No, but don't you want to talk about this?"

"No. I want to make love to my woman without a condom." I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, ready to show her what we'd both been missing.

Life with each other was just starting, and I for one couldn't wait to see where it might lead.